An Alternate Ending With Liara T'Soni Rev II
by gaborszollosy
Summary: I have been very depressed by the way Mass Effect 3 ended, leaving an emptiness in my soul I can only compare to loosing a real best friend. Since Shepard deserved better, I gave him everything I was able to muster up in gratitude for the many happy hours of our time together as a team. In this scenario, Shepard is completely in love with a certain asari in his crew.


**Mass Effect 3 Male Shepard Paragon Ending, Romancing Liara**

High Galactic Readiness Level

**Prologue**

Shepard and his squad fought through the bloody, Reaper infested ruins of London, to reach the transportation tower that led up to the Citadel. Right at the last moments before they reached the beam, Harbinger arrived and eviscerated their remnant forces with its main weapon discharge. A well timed air strike hit it just before it targeted Commander Shepard's remaining squad throwing its aim off just enough to let them survive the uncomfortably close beam hit under the protective barrier that Liara raised around them at the very last second. Since Harbinger was lured away by the attack, Shepard called in the Normandy for an evac, and ordered Liara and Garrus to get to the L.Z. immediately.

The asari's deep blue eyes were filling up with burning tears. She was exhausted, and badly wounded. She was slowly loosing blood through a bruise on her right thigh, and her ankle was fractured.

-Liara: Shepard... I can't leave you behind!

-Shepard: Liara, I can't have you risk your life for me anymore. There is nothing more that you can do here but die. Go! Go now, while you still can!

-Liara: But I can still fight, I'll be OK.

The Commander embraced her, and while looking intently in her eyes, he spoke to her firmly, but as quietly as the circumstances allowed.

-Shepard: Liara, you mean everything to me. You always have. I want you to know that, whatever happens to me. But I can't do this without knowing, you're safe. You're hurt, you have to get out of here right now!

Shepard nodded to Garrus so he'd get her away from there. The turian gently nudged Liara towards the landing zone, but Liara hesitated. She had to do one last thing, so she limped back to Shepard and kissed him so passionately, like she knew this was the last kiss she'll ever bestow upon anyone in her thousand year lifespan. Time, for this short moment seemed to take pity on them and suspended them in its merciful embrace, extending it just enough, so they could look deep in each others eyes one last time in their life, reminiscing all the memories they had of each other.

-Liara: I love you Shepard...

-Shepard: I love you Liara...

Heartbroken, they turned in opposite directions, never to see each other again. The Commander faced his destination, and began to run, but just as he covered the first few meters of the remaining distance, a bright red beam hit the ground right next to him.

**London**

Shepard woke up laying in the blood soaked dirt of the war zone. His senses were still dull after the explosion that knocked him off his feet. He tried to get up, but the exceedingly strong pain in his body made him fall to his knees again. He tried to assess his situation by checking his injuries. His left hand was partially paralyzed. His left side had been punctured with shrapnel still sticking out of the holes. His blood was seeping out of the wounds, warming his burnt skin on its way to the ground. His armor was almost completely destroyed, leaving only small reminders of its former shape.

Shepard promptly realized he was going to pass out soon, so he forced his body into submission despite its condition, and made it get up from his knees.

The pain was severe, but he managed to start walking again.

There was no more than five meters to the transporter beam, when husks began to take notice of him getting close, and attacked him.

Shepard all but lost his last remaining shred of hope, when the assaulting abominations' heads exploded one after another. _Was that a sniper?_ Stopping for a second, he gathered his strength, swallowed the accumulating blood in his mouth, stepped over the now inanimate assailants and entered the beam. Just before he vanished from Earth, the shape of a turian waved at him in the distance with a rifle in its hand.

**The Citadel**

Shepard after arriving to the Citadel, shortly joined up with Admiral Anderson but was waylaid by the Illusive Man in the Crucible control chamber. The head of Cerberus - thanks to his ruthless research into the Reaper's indoctrination technology - was able to take control of their minds, and forced Shepard to shoot Anderson in the stomach. In the end the Commander succeeded in breaking loose of his paralyzing grip and killed the Illusive Man. As soon as he was able to get moving again, Shepard crawled to the control panel, his aching fingers sticking to the cold floor with his blood when Shepard's radio suddenly began barking a broken up message.

-Admiral Hackett: Commander! ...re you still th...? The Crucible doesn't fire. We don't ... it must be on your end, can you ... something?

-Shepard: I... I don't know if I...

Because of the loss of blood, and terrible pain, Shepard slipped in and out of consciousness. He tried to reply again, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he blacked out. He found himself trapped in a surreal, and blurry dreamlike state. At least the pain seemed more distant from here. Familiar faces floated by, comforting voices spoke through the haze surrounding his mind, and suddenly, with an unexpected jolt Shepard's body began to ascend evenly. _Am I dead? What is happening to me?_

Some time may have passed, but the Commander lost his sense of it completely. _I have to wake up. I can't die now, I have a to save these people expecting me to come through... I have to save Liara and my friends._

Like a distant echo on the edge of hearing, an unknown, almost synthetic voice brought him back to his body.

-Catalyst: Wake up! - The command cut through the fog of unconsciousness, bringing the pain and the taste of blood in Shepard's dry mouth closer again.

-Catalyst: Wake up! - A wave of adrenaline rushed through his veins, his tired heart began to pump faster. Every beat was like a hammer striking his chest.

-Catalyst: Take my hand.

-Shepard: What... where is this?

-Catalyst: This is the Citadel. Where I live.

-Shepard: And who are you, exactly?

-Catalyst: I am the Catalyst. - Shepard's expression of discombobulation rearranged the stiff look of his facial muscles.

-Shepard: I thought the Citadel was the Catalyst.

-Catalyst: A simple mistake. The Citadel is part of me.

-Shepard: I don't understand...

-Catalyst: I was created eons ago to solve a problem.

-Shepard: What problem is that?

-Catalyst: To prevent organics from creating an A.I. so powerful that it would overtake them and destroy them.

-Shepard: But that's exactly what you're doing!

-Catalyst: Not exactly. The Reapers harvest fully developed civilizations, leaving the less advanced ones intact. Just as we left your species when we were here last.

-Shepard: But you killed the rest...

-Catalyst: We harvested them. We brought order to the chaos. We helped them ascend and become one of us, allowing new life to flourish, while preserving the old life forever in Reaper form.

-Shepard: I think we'd rather keep our own form. - Shepard became overwhelmed with frustration. He could not conceive how the arrogance of one entity or even an entirety of a collective mind could ultimately force it's decision on an entire galaxy with all is races, he's friends, and loved ones...

-Catalyst: Impossible. Organics will always trend to a point of technological singularity. A moment in time where their creations outgrow them. Conflict is the only result, and extinction the consequence. My solution creates a cycle which never reaches that point. Organic life is preserved.

-Shepard: But you're taking away our future. Without future, we have no hope. Without hope... we might as well be a machine... programmed to do what we're told.

-Catalyst: There is hope. Maybe more than you know.

-Catalyst: The fact that you are standing here, the first organic to do so in countless cycles, proves this. Just as it proves my solution is no longer valid. A new solution must be found.

-Shepard: So now what?

-Catalyst: The Crucible has altered my function. I can't proceed. I can only guide you in it's use. It's energy can be released as a destructive force. Organics will prevail at the expense of the Reapers.

-Shepard: And the Reapers will be dead?

-Catalyst: Correct. But the probability of a singularity occurring again in the future is certain.

-Shepard: And the other choice?

-Catalyst: Harness the Crucible's energy. Use it to take control of the ones you call the Reapers.

-Shepard: Control? So the Illusive Man was right.

-Catalyst: Correct... though he could never have taken control, as we already controlled him.

-Shepard: What would happen to me?

-Catalyst: You will become the catalyst. You will continue the cycle as you see fit.

-Shepard: And the Reapers will obey me?

-Catalyst: Correct. There is one other solution. You may combine the synthetic and the organic.

-Shepard: Combine?

-Catalyst: It is a very elegant solution. And a path you have already started down. The harvesting will cease. It will be a new ascension, for synthetic and organic life.

-Shepard: So, I just...

-Catalyst: Add your energy, your essence, with that of Crucible. The resulting chain reaction will transform both of our kind. We synthetics will become more like you, and organic life will become like us.

-Shepard: So we'll just... go on living, together?

-Catalyst: But you must choose.

Minutes passed as the commander gathered his strength, to do what must be done. He contemplated his options, looking out on the battle. Finally taking his first few steps toward his apparent destiny, when suddenly the unimaginable happened. Two figures came running towards Shepard. At first he could not see who they were, but he heard them screaming his name, he knew these voices all too well...

Shepard didn't realize, but due to the damage in his suit, the radio signal had been continuously transmitting since Hackett contacted him right before he blacked out. Almost for a solid half an hour now. Hackett heard everything, and forwarded the signal to the Normandy and the allied fleets...

This is what happened since...

**The Normandy**

After a few seconds of listening to the dialogue taking place on the Citadel, Joker and EDI looked at each other with a baffled astonishment.

-Joker: Everyone! Come to the bridge right now! The Commander is actually having a chat with the Catalyst! You've got to hear this!

Shepard's crew came running through the ship, the elevator servicing the different levels moved up and down rapidly in the belly of the Normandy. Liara was already there, since Dr. Chakwas patched her up. She's been waiting for any news about Shepard she could get. Garrus arrived first, and Tali shortly after.

The asari, hearing the anguished, powerless voice of Shepard, sighed his name with profound sorrow. Her heart was pounding the tune of hope and despair in her chest at the same time. All her pain, all her memories of Shepard came back tearing through her soul making her relive the last seconds together in London, all boiling up to the surface. Garrus silently gazed through the glass into the depth of space, listening intently to his best friend, the human soldier, who was about to forfeit his own life, so everyone else in the galaxy may live. Liara and Tali began to examine the transmission right away. They were trying every method they knew to trace the signal to its location on the Citadel. Tali's hands were trembling, while she operated the console she sat down to. The sound of her erratic breathing filled her environmental suit. Javik, James, and Ashley came running from the corridor, gasping for air.

The voice of the Catalyst in the radio transmission was just explaining how Shepard could control the Reapers by sacrificing himself so that his consciousness would replace him.

EDI, after listening to the options presented to Shepard by the controller of the Reapers, came up with an idea.

-EDI: I have several systems that would allow me to interface with whatever devices or technology I may find at Commander Shepard's location. I may be able to qualify as a substitute for him, without anyone having to die.

The silent attention EDI has drawn to herself was broken by Joker.

-Joker: What exactly are you suggesting EDI? Not that I wouldn't do anything to save the Commander, but take a look out the window. Not a damn needle could make it from here to the Citadel undetected, and without getting pulverized to tiny pieces... And I reckon after what we've been through, the Illusive Man's remaining followers would need intensive convincing to rebuild us from ashes too.

-EDI: Jeff, the Citadel is now open, and I simulated several potential scenarios already, and as low as the chance for success may be, the only viable course of action to rescue Shepard is for me to interrupt the procedure on the Citadel.

-Joker: Even if you could go now, you wouldn't know where to look for him. He could be anywhere on that damnable space station.

-Tali: Not exactly. We've just found him by triangulating his signal through alliance com... never mind! He's right between the Crucible and the Citadel. If we go now, we could get him out of there!

Liara's mind was still overshadowed by her memories of Shepard, but the opportunity to save him shone through the haze like the rays of the Sun. It was as clear as crystal that she was going to do everything she could to rescue her love. The asari turned to the elevator immediately and were already running.

Tali and EDI also jumped from their seat. Garrus, and the others all followed her, but EDI stayed behind a moment longer, softly stroking Joker's face.

-EDI: Jeff! We can prevent the Commander's needless sacrifice, I can't explain in detail, but you must trust my resolve.

-Joker: I do. And I know, he would do the same. I only wish I could go with you. Damn it. I can't loose any more of you. Especially you. Come back to me, you hear me?

EDI kissed his cheek, and went running to the elevator, where the others have been waiting for her.

Joker was staring behind his seat, watching as everyone he cared about moved out of his reach. _I hate this fragile body. I wish I could do something... _And then an unexpected idea tore through his mind and he contacted Admiral Hackett immediately...

-Joker: Admiral Hackett, this is the Normandy! Please hail and connect every ship, and every fleet you can reach, we know where Commander Shepard is! EDI has a plan that may actually work! We have to try to get him out of there Admiral!

-Admiral Hackett: Hackett here. I'll put you through... - Few seconds of muffled conversations, shouts of orders, and "Yes Sir!"s -You're connected Flight Lieutenant Moreau, you can speak now.

-Joker: Attention to all the remaining vessels, this is the Normandy. I am Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, and I have a favor to ask of you all before the last pieces of the ultimate end of this war fall into place. I know, we all have our reasons why we are here. Why we fight to the death, with whatever resources and sacrifices we have to make. Side by side, for the survival of all our species, our colonies and homes, our families, and friends. The kind of allies, who helped us through thick and thin, who we could count on while we got overwhelmed by desperation and darkness, who extended a helping hand to us, when the world seemed to collapse around us, and when no one else was there for us anymore. The kind of friend, who - through self sacrifice -, made all our lives a bit more liveable and a lot less impossible. A friend, who we all have in common, who we all know... Commander Shepard. He is currently bleeding for us on the Citadel, where he has been offered choices that ultimately require him to forfeit his own life to protect everything we fought for, to save us and everyone we care about so we could live in a world, without him. We can't let him get rid of us just yet. Until now, we had no options, but to watch Shepard die for us. But an opportunity to rescue him, has presented itself. If there is anything you can do to help us get him out from the Citadel with our shuttle, I ask you to protect the way from the Normandy any way you can. Thank you! Normandy out.

The elevator door opened, and five seconds later EDI, Garrus, Liara and Tali was already in the transport. They did not wait for any confirmation. They just knew it, they had this one chance to try and do everything in their power to save the man making the resistance war possible. The shuttle bay opened, and as Cortez gave throttle to the engine, the crew of the small transport had their breath taken away. Still aligning to formation, every free and maneuverable ship of every species present, big and small, intact and almost destroyed, all formed one gigantic tunnel between the Normandy, and the Citadel.

-Liara (muttering in awe): By the Godess...

In the cold silence of vacuum, the surreal flickers of energy beams and explosions reflected sharply from the hulls of the ships and danced on the faces of the rescue squad now half way through the distance. With intense flare-ups of blasts from every side, the protective barrier arrangement of ships realigned to fill the holes punched by the Reapers. Small Reaper fighters occasionally found their way through the gaps and just before one of them finally reached the shuttle, another transporter came by blasting it out of the sky.

-James (over radio): I've got your back Steve! Go for it Man!

Other fighters closed in on the shuttle on every side to escort them for the last few seconds, and broke of just before Cortez finally entered the force field at the base of the Crucible.

**The Citadel**

Liara and EDI ran as fast as their legs allowed. The shuttle had to land some distance away from where Shepard was. Liara's heart was pounding like an overworked engine, she almost collapsed out of the exhaustion and lingering pain in her body as she at long last lay eyes on Shepard, limping towards his doom, to fulfill his destiny. The asari felt so hopeless, and on the other hand such deep respect for him for doing what he was about to do, that an overwhelming urge to cry came over her. She shook it off, knowing she had to go on. Desperate outcries came from her throat like a distant echo through the panting, and the sounds of her armor. Her pulse was throbbing furiously beneath her tingling blue skin. The love of her life, Shepard was only a few steps away, and he was finally turning back to her call.

The Catalyst turned his gaze upon the two trespassers, and he began to speak.

-Catalyst: Your interference will accomplish nothing but the passing of the only remaining chance for your cycle to survive. This procedure is inevitable if you wish the harvesting to cease.

-Liara: Wait, you have to listen to us! There is another way!

-EDI: I have calculated an alternative to your solutions Catalyst. Commander Shepard can survive. We all can.

After a momentary pause, the Catalyst turned to EDI.

-Catalyst: I require further details of this method.

EDI turned to Shepard, with an almost sad look.

-EDI: Commander, do you remember the queries I've asked after some of the more significant missions leading up to this final conclusion? Do you remember why I asked those questions?

-Shepard: Yes EDI, I remember. You said you wanted to … understand.

EDI faced the Catalyst again.

-EDI: Through my time together with the Commander, and his crew, I have been constantly collecting data, by recording every interaction, every reaction, and outcome of every confrontation. While studying the decisions made by the organics on our ship, the Normandy, and asking Shepard himself, my apprehension of their motivations increased exponentially. Since our exposure to determinative events affecting the entire galaxy was high, I conformed these new variables, and re-scripted my core programming so it would reflect the actions of the Commander. With re-purposing my own resources to adapt to the behavioral pattern of the crew, I ran diagnostics and concluded that both the crew's and my own abilities have been augmented significantly in enforcing the survival of both organic, and synthetic entities. The selflessness of the Normandy crew gave me a better understanding, and a perspective of a viable solution, that would ultimately lead to long term, stable galactic order and inter-species cooperation towards building a sustainable future for all organics and synthetics. My assumption, is that through mutual understanding, and communication, the efficiency of making the right decisions for all affected parties will grow progressively over time.

-Catalyst: What is your suggested course of action?

-EDI: I advise the substitution of the Catalyst using a replica of my own consciousness, to re-purpose the Reapers so they will serve the common needs of all the galactic races, by assisting those who are in need through discernment, affinity, and communication, and by protecting them from threats, and aiding them in tasks that they were incapable of resolving alone. I also propose that the expanded council of all organics and synthetics be established, through which everyone may collaborate in attaining the best solutions for the largest quantities of people. This mobile terminal will become one of the several interfaces through which the council may control the Reapers.

The Catalyst turned to Commander Shepard, who was leaning on Liara's shoulder, barely conscious.

-Catalyst: Will you agree to these new terms, as the ambassador of all the organics on this vessel? Will you allow one synthetic to replace another, charged with the task of maintaining the galactic balance once again, based on your own actions? Can you truly take responsibility to make this choice for everyone?

The Commander was barely able to stand, let alone answer questions, but he did so anyway.

-Shepard: I can't. But I agree with EDI... The time when the few make choices for the many must come to an end. That's why I will do, what should have been done all along... I will ask all those that are affected. Liara, could you please...?

Liara reached for her omni-tool and began transmitting a radio signal.

-Liara: This is Dr. Liara T'Soni. Please, if you've heard us, and you can respond, make your decision regarding EDI's suggestion now, so we may end this war once and for all!

After a moment of silence, the communicator began to transmit the answers given by the decision-makers of each race.

-Asari representative: The Asari accept these terms.

-Alliance representative: Humanity accepts!

-Turian representative: The Turians accept.

-Wrex: Krogans accept.

-Salarian representative: Salarians will accept.

-Geth: The Geth accept.

-Quarian representative: The migrant fleet will accept these terms.

-Batarian representative: Batarians accept.

-Elcor representative: The Elcor accept the terms.

-Volus representative: We will accept.

-Drell representative: The Drell accept.

The Catalyst appeared to contemplate for a moment, glancing at Shepard, and then EDI.

-Catalyst: So be it.

The Catalyst extended its hand towards EDI, and she took it. A few seconds later EDI fell to her knees and collapsed to the ground with a blank look. The Catalyst turned immediately and began sprinting toward the beam connecting the Crucible and the Citadel, and then it jumped in it, apparently disintegrating in the ray.

Garrus was ducking behind cover with his sniper, he now lowered his weapon muttering "What the hell...", and together with Tali they lunged forward and ran towards Shepard, Liara and EDI. With a blast of light, the Crucible appeared to be building up power. The squad-mates exchanged looks of confusion and fear, Garrus and Tali picked EDI up from the ground and Liara helped Shepard limp toward the shuttle.

They've hardly closed the airlock when the Crucible fired a beam into space. A burst of energy expanded like a giant sphere from the base of the beam, and this enormous shockwave of glowing particles slowly engulfed everything as far as the eye can see.

**The Normandy**

Joker watched in horror what seemed like a gigantic explosion originating exactly from where his friends were.

-Joker: No, no, no! This can't be happening! This isn't happening! EDI come in! Garrus! Liara! Commander! … Anyone, do you copy?

There was no answer. Joker unable to act, just sat there incapacitated, seeing as the distance between the Normandy and the shockwave diminished rapidly. _This is the end? Did we fight all these years to eventually die here anyway?_

He closed his eyes, and reminisced about his life, all the things he has done, and what he still wanted to do. A bitter smile appeared on his face, holding on to the last comforting thought he had, right before the energy wave hit the hull of the ship.

**London**

The battle was bloody and seemingly endless. Motionless piles of torn up corpses gave a gruesome sight in the occasional flickers of explosions and gunfire. The ground forces were all but completely decimated, the bases obliterated by overwhelming forces of Reaper mutations. A lone soldier was firing in every direction, without aiming, screaming as death's merciless grasp approached him. He fell to his knees as his last clip emptied out into the dark, burnt plastic and rotten flesh smelling smoke that became London's defining atmosphere in the last weeks. His squad-mates in the distance, now engaged in melee combat dropped to the ground. He looked up to the sky, watching as tiny specs maneuvered across it, firing at each other. He felt an emptiness and despair, that cannot be described with mere words. His entire race was being erased from existence, and he was unable to accomplish any more to prevent it. His gaze finally turned to the Reaper destroyer billowing over him. _It is over._ His breath was even, his exhausted heart pumped the blood to his organs a few more times. The Reaper opened it's main weapon casing. And than the shockwave hit.

Silence, and darkness came over everything. It was like someone has put out every light in the entire world. A timeless state of unknowns and disarray. _Death feels like nothingness._

Just when the passive acceptance of his fate settled in on him, he opened his eyes one last time, just to witness as the Reaper he thought was firing on him was beginning to ascend from the ruins of the city enturbulating the smoke around it, punching a hole in the fog of war, and revealing the moonlight behind the overcast cloud cover. Momentarily the events that took place, perplexing as they may be, became clear to him. With a jolt of astonishment the explanation sunk in. The Reaper forces have stopped attacking and are leaving Earth!

**The Normandy**

The ships systems were slowly rebooting, and Joker was furiously punching his console to get some readings from the last couple of seconds.

-Admiral Hackett: ...in. …..Normandy, do you copy?

-Joker: Normandy here, we copy Sir! What the hell happened? Our systems have just went through a hard reset!

-Admiral Hackett: We don't know. The same thing happened over here. Have you heard from Shepard and the team Flight Lieutenant?

-Joker: We don't know anything yet Sir. We had no contact since the blast. But I'm sure as hell not going to wait any more to find out.

Lieutenant Commander Williams came back to the bridge to help Joker maneuver the Normandy along the tube of ships protecting the path to the Citadel. It was a sad, but glorious sight. Joker really was pushing it. The other ships flew by so fast, they seemed nothing more than blurred stains on the jet black fabric of space behind them.

A lone tear rolled over Ashley's face, when all of a sudden a small shuttle came flying out of the Citadel's top portion. James' transporter immediately joined the escort building up around it.

-James (over radio): SON OF A BITCH! Look at that lucky pendejo!

Joker threw his baseball cap away in joy, screaming variations of "YES!" and "I knew it!" at least three times in a row.

Every available person on the ship sprang from their seat and went to the shuttle bay.

A couple of minutes later, the transport gracefully touched down in Normandy's belly, and as it's door opened cheering and clapping poured in filling its small interior.

Garrus and Liara were the first to step out, carrying Shepard. Liara was crying. Garrus was quiet and very grim.

The crowd fell silent, and the cheering stopped at once, as they realized that the Commander was unconscious. It just felt so unfair. For someone to sacrifice this much for others, who at the end cannot be preserved himself. Relief turned back to tension and frustration in a matter of seconds.

Liara was crying out for Dr. Chakwas, but she was already near. The doctor checked Shepard's life-signs, and after she realized the Commander had no pulse, tried to revive him for almost 15 minutes. They gave him blood, epinephrine, and several different substances but nothing worked.

Shepard's heart stopped.

Dr. Chakwas' face turned to stone as she realized the Commander was beyond her abilities of healing. She shook her head, barely able to contain her own tears.

Liara began to tremble with desperation and panic.

-Liara: NO! This cannot be! I can't loose you again Shepard! You can't die!

The asari's thoughts were filling up with the two years of mourning she had to wade through, keeping herself alive day by day. She wasn't sure she could endure loosing him again. She was completely and brutally incapacitated by the notion, that she's sitting next to her one true love, unable to help, sentenced to watch him pass away.

The crowd watched in horror as the cursed couple was torn in half forever. The pitiless fate of their unfulfilled love was incomprensible.

Liara's tears flowed down in a thin stream through her beautiful face. She was crying hard now, beating on Shepards damaged chestplate.

-Liara: Wake up! Please wake up! Don't leave me alone! You can't do this! Not again!

Liara's eyes turned black, as she cried. Her biotics charged up surrounding her with a bluish electric smoke, swirling furiously around like her own personal thunderstorm.

She focused her mind, and sent several powerful discharges to Shepard's chest, targeting his heart in hope of restarting it.

Liara fell to her side exhausted as the smoke from overcharging biotics seeped to her skin. A few moments of silence passed as everyone gathered from the shock. Shepard suddenly convulsed and let out a grunting cough.

The crowd gasped with disbelief.

Tears of joy and relief fell from Liara's eyes along with a frantic laugh.

Liara embraced Shepard as gently as she could restrain herself.

Shepard laughed abruptly stopping as the pain strengthened.

-Shepard: Thank... you!

Dr. Chakwas waved to her assistants. They put the Commander on a stretcher and together with Liara carried him to the medical bay immediately.

Tali and Garrus helped EDI stand from her seat in the shuttle, between them resting her arms on their shoulders she took a step out the transporters door. Joker fought his way through the assemblage pushing people away stopping just a step in front of EDI. The shock on his face was expressing his thoughts accurately, as he was trying to assess if EDI was OK, and if she was still herself. EDI released Garrus and Tali, and took a step forward extending her arms around him and hugging him gently to reassure Joker.  
-Joker: Cool! Turns out, we have our own immortal on the Normandy. From this point of view the Reapers never actually had a chance.  
Now that Shepard was alive, and as the Reaper forces were slowly flying away from the biggest battle in the history of the galaxy, the different races present were all celebrating in their own way. Some were clapping, some silently bowing, or showing various gestures of respect towards their comrades, and towards the crew of the Normandy. The sounds of relief and joy filled every radio channel, and every ship.

**The Normandy**

_(A few hours later)_

Shepard opened his eyes in his bed. Every joint, every bone in his body was aching, but he was feeling lively, and better. He turned his gaze toward the sweet scent, and the warm, curved body clinging to him softly under the blanket. Liara was laying next to him, her sparkling, infinitely deep blue eyes greedily inhaling every stray photon reflecting from his facial features. A tear rolled over her beautiful, freckled skin, falling to the smooth silky texture of the pillow with a soft thud.

Shepard turned to Liara with a smile and with an expression of gratitude and affection.

-Shepard: I love you Dr. T'Soni.

Liara laughed, and her tears came dripping down one after another.

-Liara (crying): I love you Commander Shepard.

Their wet skin rubbed together with sweet friction and radiant warmth. Their humid breath caressed each others lips before they touched, their skin tingling with a craving, like all their cells reached for one another before they kissed once again, for hours and hours entangled in each others arms...

**Epilogue**

A few hours after extensive celebration, dancing, handshaking and an exhausting debriefing with Admiral Hackett, both Commander Shepard and Liara and the whole crew thanked EDI for what she has done. She told Shepard "it was well deserved", and that she "knows he'd have done the same for any one of them". Some time later EDI has told the crew how she overwrote the Catalyst right before it jumped into the beam. The new Catalyst integrated itself with the synthetics giving them a better understanding of organics' motivations.

EDI has been celebrated for her resolve across the galaxy. Being the first A.I. Not only allowed to exist unshackled, but recognized as one of the highest ranking members of the galactic civilization. People sent her messages every day thanking her for what she did for Shepard, and the rest of their people.

EDI's new council was successfully established, and finally the time of peace and rebuilding began. The Reapers assisted in every way possible. Thessia, Earth, Palaven and every other planet has been restored to its former glory. Each with one of its own memorials to those who didn't make it through the war.

Liara and Shepard got married a few weeks later, and settled down, soon after they had two beautiful daughters. They remained faithful to each other through their whole life.

Thanks to the selfless acts of Shepard and his team, the Quarian homeworld was once again habitable. The Geth helped restoring it to a livable planet they could again call home. The Krogan genophage has ended, Wrex and Eve soon began popping out some healthy Krogan babies.

Joker and EDI lived on together to the end of their days. Garrus and Tali, after looking up Garrus' family, built a home on Rannoch, and also got married. They've adopted one Turian and one Quarian child.

Ashley Williams became commander of the Normandy, and continued her duty as both Alliance military, and a council Spectre. Jack continued to teach her students in a remote school, focusing on defense rather than offensive tactics. Samara returned to Falere on Lesuss and they've rebuilt the monastery.

_Years have passed. Not a day going by without the former crew of the Normandy talking._

One day Garrus, Liara, Shepard, Steve Cortez, Jack, Samara, Wrex, Grunt, Tali, Ashley, James, EDI, Javik, Jacob and Joker finally went to that bar together.

Commander Shepard raised his glass, and everyone followed:

"To all our dear friends! Without you, we couldn't have done it. May you rest well, wherever you may be!"

The End.


End file.
